I am writng in response to Mike the Mender and b1114p concerning the problems of the Memorymoog. In defense of Mike, the power supply problems are valid and I am repairing one (serial 2641) as Im taking a break from this unit. If the fan is dirty or clogging up from crud or the fan is dead then yes the pwr sup can overheat and Q5 and related pass transistors can get hot enough to melt solder. These units need a bit more capacity and remember that the pass transistors are incurring quite a bit voltage drop (thats one reason they stay very hot)A switching supply can possibly be used but that is quite involved.... The studio that is belongs to has never been able to get very much mileage out of it and have resorted to using "virtual synths" and they cant waste time waiting for a "classic synth" that has crapped out to be used in production, Yes time is money for them and they need reliable equipment for clients. Yes if you can find one that works then by all means use it but keep in mind that they are not by any means a "solid" instrument. Last the connectors(which are molex)have a bad habit of oxidizing causing more headaches.... One bit of trivia, the original Prophet 10 synth which had the single keyboard had massive power supply problems due to heat generation which caused them to be very unstable and was very much a dud.

Rating: 1 out of 5
posted Saturday-Apr-17-2004 at 14:42

a part-time user
writes:

I've had no serious problems with my Memormoogs, in part because i got the latest "Plus" version. Have a feeling that much of it's bad rep regarding reliability and tuning had to do with the earlier, non-Plus versions. The Plus versions do have occasional glitches, but if cared for aren't noticably more problematic than the problem-free Prophets and Oberheims i've used. Sound-wise, it's power-overload - more powerful even than my Mini i think, with a more raw, intense though less musical sound than the Mini or P-5.

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Wednesday-Mar-17-2004 at 19:02

a hobbyist user
writes:

Not that bad technically as long as you treat it like any other vintage piece and leave it in the studio/apt. Occasional glitches, tuning's good with the Plus version..HUGE, RAW sound, sonically a bigger version of a Prophet 5 but with an unprocessed, raw sound vs. the Prophet's smoother, more refined yet powerful elegance.

Rating: 4 out of 5
posted Friday-Mar-12-2004 at 23:20

b1114p
a part-time user
from USA
writes:

On reading reviews in such forums I'm often curious about the functional perspective of some reviews that are biased strongly in one direction or the other. In the case of Mike the mender I'm guessing the perspective is complete ignorance. Melting solder? REALLY? That's pretty freaking hot!!! (LOL - give the dramatics a rest!)

There are many fully functioning, usable Memorymoogs in existence - admittedly more frail in certain design respects than many analog polysynths from the era. Mine is a Plus model with MIDI (and sequencer FWIW). After warming up (like any other analog), it runs beautifully. Yes, it will eventually need to be recalibrated, it will probably break someday - but this is true for all analog synths to some degree. Perhaps the MM is on the more frequent end of the spectrum. But it's not like it breaks every 5 minutes or even 5 months or years! And just consider the sonic payoff! Like it or not, Moog prospered and was the standard because of the sonic and musical quality of the filter design.

Points which are true: (a) there is hype surrounding the name and you'll pay more because of it (b) Bob Moog didn't design the MM (c) the oscillators are CEM and not discreet - but the filters, baby! It's gotta be the filters! I mean, how many ways are there to make a PWM wave? Prophet 5? ( -sorry - Prophet V for those of you in Little Rock) You don't stand a chance!!! The real deal is still here and for good reason.

Physically, it's not markedly heavier or more flimsy than any other synth from the day. Do not procded with the belief that the MM is a trainwreck waiting to happen. Truth is, they all are at this point just due to their age and makeup. Arp, Sequential, Roland. Obsolete or vanishing supplies of parts and lack of experiened technical support make owning any vintage machine a risky proposition, no matter. If you're not up for the risk - or the full sound - you truly belong behind a Triton or, better yet, a Poly 800!

Get a Plus with the factory updates and play on! There's nothing like it and you won't be sorry!

Rating: 5 out of 5
posted Saturday-Feb-21-2004 at 20:58

Mike the mender
a professional user
from Bristol
writes:

This is a synth to avoid. Hardware problems abound make it non-viable for most people. The heat build up melts the solder and creates endless dry joints. The Lintronic update still doesn't cure the problem. Like the mk1 Prophet 10, there is too much going on inside. This synth should never have been released. It is criminal! The sound is too fat and really doesn't work for most polyphonic purposes. If you need an 18 voice lead then good luck to you. It really is useless. The weight is excessive and,like the polymoog, makes the synth dangerous to move. The excessive cost is a recent thing. A few years back they were dead cheap in the states and about £5-700 in the UK. Think about that. Many other polys sound better and have a more classic prophile and are easier to maintain. This synth was not widely used. It came out too late...around 1982 when the midi/ digital movement was gaining pace. They were bunged out quite cheaply. About £2500...cheaper than a Jupiter or Prophet 5. Midi upgrades are a no-no. The power supply is on the brink as it is. Give it more to do and it will not survive. When it goes down it takes filter and vca chips with it at tremendous cost.